


safe to shore

by MissELY



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Older Man/Younger Woman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:01:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23882707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissELY/pseuds/MissELY
Summary: There had been bad days before, and Hermione could generally get him to relax, blow off steam.But this—this was different. Hermione had been at a loss as to how to deal with him like this, with the echoes of the vulnerable feral-escapee lingering behind his eyes.Hermione just needed to help him unwind.
Relationships: Sirius Black/Hermione Granger
Comments: 42
Kudos: 133
Collections: Frumpologist Flash Fiction Comp April 2020





	safe to shore

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a flash fiction challenge on the Dumbledore's Armada Discord Server. My randomly generated prompt was Sirius and Hermione building a pillow fort.
> 
> Title from the lyrics to Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men
> 
> Thank you so much to my lovely beta!

It had been a bad day. 

Hermione hadn’t caught all of it, but there had been a bad case that somehow his Aurors had managed to fuck up. Being Head Auror was not all it was cracked up to be, but as one of the few living members of the Order of the Phoenix, Kingsley had begged him to take the role post-war. That was five years ago. 

He had kept it together, professional, at the Ministry, but his steel grip of control could only last so long.

Once he got home, Sirius’ anger had been a physical thing, a furious hurricane of movement, all teeth and harsh words.

There had been bad days before, and Hermione could usually get him to relax, blow off steam. 

But this—this was different. Hermione had been at a loss as to how to deal with him like this, with the echoes of the vulnerable feral-escapee lingering behind his eyes.

She loitered by the door to the sitting room as Sirius cursed under his breath, cheeks ruddy, eyes still sparking with fury. 

In their four years of cohabitation at 12 Grimmauld Place, and three as his girlfriend, she had found all manner of ways to help him relax, to soothe his frazzled nerves. Normally all it took was a glass of good wine, or fooling around in a mildly inappropriate place, or a long conversation in front of the fire. 

But she knew that those things weren’t going to work. He needed to feel safe, to feel protected.

So she reverted to what her parents had always done for her when she had a bad day, after the bullies got too mean, after the teasing hit too close to home.

In their living room she started to pile up the sofa cushions, conjuring more.

Sirius came in as she was beginning to drape the blankets over her creation.

“What’s this?” His voice was hoarse from screaming, but he spoke to her gently.

“It’s a pillow fort,” she shook out a blanket and draped it on top of the rather impressive fort she had managed to construct.

“A pillow fort?” He approached, his head tilted, looking very much like the dog he sometimes was.

“Yes, a pillow fort. My parents used to make one with me when I was feeling—” she shot a considering look at him, wondering how to describe his recent mood, “upset.”

She grabbed his hand, dragging him towards the structure that was held together with a strong sticking charm.

She knelt and crawled through the opening, pulling him along with her until they were both ensconced in the dark, warm air of the fort.

“I always felt safe in pillow forts. The outside world always felt much less frightening.” She whispered, pressing a kiss just under his ear.

His arms went around her automatically and the smile he offered her was soft. She felt his shoulders relax under her touch. 

It was just a start, but it was something.


End file.
